Steam-radiator foe



F. r. coeem AND R. P. wmtcman. STEAM RADIATOR FOR TRACTION RAILWAY CARS. APPHCATION if APR. I. IBHL 1 07,849. Patented June 24; 1919..

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UNITED s ArEs r r nT OFFICE.

FRANK r. COGGIN, or'nos'roiv, AND RICHARD r. wnrrcnnn, or MELROSE,

MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM-RADIATOR FOR TRACTION-RAILWAY cARs.

Specification Letters Patent Patented June 24, 1919.

Application filed April 1, 1918. 1 Serial no. 225,917.

To all whom it may concern":

Be it known that we, FRANK F. Coeenv and RIoHARnP. vVI-IITGI-IER, citizens of the United States, residing atBoston and Melrose, in the county of Suffolk and county of Middl-esex, respectively, and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Radiators for Traction-Railway Cars, of which the following is a specification. I

The object of this invention is to provide a steam radiator attachable to the vertical side walls ci -traction railway cars, and particularly, baggage, express and milk cars, and adapted to drain off by gravity the water of condensation at all times, whether the radiator is in use,or after steam is shut off. i

The radiator in common use for the aboven'ientioned'cars consists of nearly horizontal pipes connected at the ends by return bends. To secure suliicient radiating surface, these pipes must be relatively near each other, so that their inclination is relatively slight, in consequence of which the drainage by gravity is poor. VVhenthe car is running or stand ing on a grade, or an inclined portion of a traction railway track, the water of condensation is liable to pocket at the low end, and it not blown out when steam is shut off, this water will, in cold weather, freeze and burst the return bends and pipes.

A radiator constructed in accordance with our invention will not allow any collection of water to remain in any part, even when the car is on the most severe or steep grades, because, the elevation of either end ofthe car is insufficient to cause the pocketing of water at any point above the water outlet of the radiator, so that under all conditions water of condensation escapes bygravity through the usual trap underneaththe car,

thus eliminating all danger of freeze-ups and obviating the necessityof blowing out the radiator by train men to discharge the .water, as thisdischarge is automatically accomplished at all times.

In addition to preventing freeze-ups,

the prevention of any accumulation of water The invention is embodied in the improve ments which we will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part-of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a radiator embodying the invention, a portion being shown in section.

1 Figs. 2 and. 3 are similar views, illustrating other embodiments of the invention.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

Our improved steam radiator is attachable to a vertical or longitudinal side wall of a boxcar for traction railways, the radiator occupying a considerable portion of the height of the side wall. The radiator is not intended for passenger cars, its use being confined to box cars, such as baggnr express and milk cars. The radiator is provided' with a steam inlet, preferably at its upper portion, and with a water outlet at itslowest portion, and is formed to prevent the pocketing of water in any part. In ac cordance with our invention, the radiator includes inclined water-conducting means leading to said outlet and having an inclination not less, and preferably greater, than that of any inclined portion of a traction railway track, so that provision is made for insuring a gravity flow of water from all parts of the radiator through said outlet, when the car is on an inclined track portion of any grade that may be found in a traction railway track.

The embodiment of our invention shown by Fig. 1 includes an upper header 1.2 which is substantially horizontal, and is provided with a steam inlet 13, a lower header 14 which is parallel with the upper header, and a series of upright pipes 15, connecting the header 12 with the header 141. Extending from opposite ends 'of the header 14: are two oppositely inclined conduit portions 16, converging to a water outlet 17 which passes through the floor of the car and coinniunicates with a suitable thermostatic trap be low the floor, the trap being organized to permit the escape of water and prevent the escape of steam, Traps for this purpose are well known, and do not require illustration. Steam, enteringthe upper header 12 passes throughthe pipes 15 to the header 14:, and water of condensation escapes from the header 1 1 through the conduit portions 16 and outlet 17. The conduit portions 16 and header 14 may be cast as a single part, or they may be otherwise formed. v

It will be seen that the above-described construction prevents the pocketing of water at any point within the radiator. It will also be seen that the lower portion of the radiator includes inclined water-conducting means leading to the outlet, said means being embodied in the inclined conduit portions 16. These conduit portions constitute a V-shaped or two-part incline, the parts of which are inclined downwardly from opposite ends of the radiator to the outlet 17. The inclination of each of said parts is not less, and is preferably greater, than that of any inclined portion of a traction railway track. For example, assuming that the steepest inclination of any portion of the track is as great or even greater than a two er cent.- 'rade which is the )ractical maxi- Q mum of railroad engineering, the inclination of the said parts is preferably enough greater to prevent either part from assuming a horizontal position, and to prevent the depression of the outer end of either part be low its inner end which communicates with the outlet 16.

Having in mind the fact that the described construction prevents pocketing of water in any part of the radiator, it will be seen that provision is made for insuring a gravity flow of Water from all parts of the radiator to said outlet, when the car is on aninclined track portion of any grade which may exist in a traction railway track.

The radiator may be provided with any suitable means for attaching it to a car wall, the means here shown including ears 18 formed on the lower header portion 14, and on the conduit portion 16, and cars 19 formed on the header 12. Said cars are per fora-ted to receive attaching bolts or screws, the perforations in the ears 19 being preferably vertically elongated slots 20 to permit vertical expansion and contraction of the radiator. I

The embodiment of the invention shown by Fig. 2 differs from that shown by Fig. 1, mainly, in that the lower header 21 is V- shaped, the upper sides of its bottom forming a two-part incline leading to the outlet 17, and the upright pipes 15 being of different lengths.

The embodiment of the invention shown by Fig. 3 differs from that shown by Fig. 2, mainly, in that the lower header 22 is inclined in one direction only, the outlet 17 being located at one end of the header.

The invention may be embodied in other forms, without departure from the essential features pointed out by the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. A steam radiator for railway cars provided with a substantially horizontal upper header having a steam inlet and with a lower header having a water outlet, the latter being located at the lowest portion of the-radiator, said lower header having water conducting mleans leading to said outlet and in clined at an angle sufficiently great to insure gravity flow of water from all parts of the radiator to said outlet when the car is on a grade of maximum inclination and irrespective of which end of the car may be the higher, said headers having means whereby the radiator may be attached to the side wall of a car.

2. A steam radiator for railway cars comprising an upper header provided with a steam inlet, a lower header provided with two oppositely inclined portions each inclined downwardly from one end of the radiator and provided with a water outlet at the lowest point and radiator pipes connecting said headers, the inclined portions of the lower header being at an angle sufficiently great to insure gravity How of water from all parts of the radiator to said outlet when the car is on a grade of maximum inclination and irrespective of which end of the car may be the higher.

3. A steam radiator for railway cars comprising an upper header provided with a steam inlet, a lowerheader provided with two oppositely inclined conduit portions converging from the ends of the radiator to the middle thereof and having a water outlet at their junction, and pipes connecting said headers, said conduits being inclined at an angle sufliciently great to insure gravity flow of water from all parts of the radiator to said outlet when the car is on a grade of maximum inclination and irrespective of which end of the car may be the higher.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures.

FRANK F. COGGIN, RICHARD P. VVHITCHER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

